AVATAR Announces Spring 2023 U.S. Tour With VEIL OF MAYA And ORBIT CULTURE

Swedish metallers AVATAR will embark on a U.S. tour this spring. The trek, which will feature support from VEIL OF MAYA and ORBIT CULTURE, will kick off on April 28 in Omaha, Nebraska and conclude on May 28 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Says AVATAR: "It's time to demolish some good ol' American asphalt again. We're bringing this show on the road, so put on your dancing shoes and leave your halos at the door. See you at the circus!"

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will begin on Wednesday, January 25 at 10:00 a.m. EST and end on Thursday, January 26 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code "CHIMP" to access tickets before the general public. Check back here before Wednesday for ticketing links to individual shows. General on-sale will be Friday, January 27 at 10 a.m. local time.

2023 "Dance Devil Dance" tour dates:

Apr. 28 - Omaha, NE - The Admiral (buy tickets)
Apr. 29 - Denver, CO - Ogden (buy tickets)
Apr. 30 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot (buy tickets)
May 01 - Garden City, ID - Revolution Concert House (buy tickets)
May 03 - San Diego, CA - Observatory (buy tickets)
May 04 - Los Angeles, CA - Belasco (buy tickets)
May 05 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore (buy tickets)
May 06 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues (buy tickets)
May 07 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren (buy tickets)
May 09 - Austin, TX – Emo's (buy tickets)
May 10 - Dallas, TX - The Echo Lounge & Music Hall (buy tickets)
May 12 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theater (buy tickets)
May 13 - Green Bay, WI - Epic Events Center (buy tickets)
May 14 - Moline, IL - The Rust Belt (buy tickets)
May 15 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues (buy tickets)
May 16 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Theatre (buy tickets)
May 18 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome to Rockville (buy tickets)
May 19 - St. Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live (buy tickets)
May 20 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theater (buy tickets)
May 21 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall (buy tickets)
May 23 - New York, NY - Webster Hall (buy tickets)
May 24 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club (buy tickets)
May 25 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore (buy tickets)
May 26 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA (buy tickets)
May 27 - Columbus, OH - Sonic Temple (buy tickets)
May 28 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theater (buy tickets)

AVATAR will release its ninth album, "Dance Devil Dance", on February 17 via Thirty Tigers. The LP was recorded in the Swedish wilderness, far away from all the perceived glamor of the big city and modern studios. Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, MR. BUNGLE, CROBOT, STONE SOUR, AMON AMARTH, URIAH HEEP) returned as producer. He first worked with AVATAR when he mixed "Hail The Apocalypse", a role he reprised on "Feathers & Flesh" before taking the wheel as producer on "Avatar Country" and "Hunter Gatherer".

Last year, AVATAR announced its signing to Thirty Tigers and the launch of its own Black Waltz Records imprint. In addition, Eckerström and his bandmates unleashed four new songs which, according to the group, represented a taste of things to come.

Last August, vocalist Johannes Eckerström told TotalRock about AVATAR's upcoming LP: "My best thing to liken it to is [JUDAS PRIEST's] 'British Steel' in the sense of that… JUDAS PRIEST were always great, and before 'British Steel' you had 'Killing Machine', you had 'Sad Wings Of Destiny' and all this, but they were a great heavy metal band, a great rock and roll band, a great prog band at times and kind of eclectic. And then with 'British Steel' I find they really got laser focused, cut off the fat. And we're focused on what we feel right now metal needs — this very pompous but yet…

"Honestly, I feel like we have to save heavy metal," he continued. "Because either people are lost in the past… They did it better than we will ever do what they do. Don't do that. What's next? What's next for us? And do that without disappearing up your own asses completely.

"When people end up doing metal that is best enjoyed while sitting down and shutting up, you miss the point," Johannes added. "Metal is the music that you move to — in the pit, banging your head, dancing around, whatever, lifting weights, drinking too much, getting pregnant, impregnating someone, doing things. It's music to move with. You have drums in the band; why would you have drums if you don't move?

"We look a lot to the masters — that is wisdom from MOTÖRHEAD, from JUDAS PRIEST, from a lot of things — but then just… yeah, that, but not that. They did that. We're now and what's next with that. Where can we try to help bring it? And that is this album."

AVATAR enjoyed quite a productive summer last year, traipsing North America on a successful headline tour. They next embarked on some of the biggest shows of the career — a trek with IRON MAIDEN, supporting the band in stadiums in Brazil. AVATAR also played arenas supporting SABATON. They secured slots at major festivals globally — Inkcarceration, Summer Breeze and Bloodstock Open Air, among others.

Photo credit: Johan Carlèn